Adjustable visor



Jan. 9, 1934. w. s. SAUNDERS ADJUSTABLE VI SOR Filed June 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1934. w. s. SAUNDERS 1,942,663

ADJUSTABLE VISOR Filed June 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR i aZf/ax S. S azmdars jlam P ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1934 pairs ADJUSTABLE VISOE Application June 25, 1931.

Serial No. 546,707

2 Claims. 01. see-9'1) This invention relates to anti-glare devices for motor vehicles, and has for one of its objects provision of a device in the nature of an adjustable interior visor, particularly suitable for installation and use inside the bodies of closed motor cars.

Another object of this invention is the provision of such an interior visor which is universally adjustable to any desired position within the range of its possible movement by merely grasping and moving the same, and which is so designed that it rigidly maintains any position to which it is adjusted, and cannot be displaced by jolting or vibration of the vehicle upon which it is installed.

Other objects of this invention include the provision of such a device which is of simple and inexpensive construction, yet attractive appearance.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a simplified diagrammatic side view of the body portion of a closed automobile; part of the body being broken away to afford a better view of its construction and the preferred manner of installing my interior visor.

Figure 2 is a plan View of my preferred swivel mounting, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the A substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, the visor being fragmentarily shown in 10' ered position.

Figure 4 is a detail view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view, with the visor lowered.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure l of a somewhat modified construction.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure '7, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of another somewhat modified and simplified construction in which the visor is movable about but one axis, and

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken substantially on the line 10--l0 of Figure 9.

Referring now to the drawings: Reference character designates a simplified representation of the body of a closed automobile, which, since it forms no part of my invention, has not been shown with accuracy in all details. The top construction or" such an automobile body ordinarily incorporates a number of cross beams 16, usually of wood, which are hidden from View from the interior of the vehicle by a fabric covering 17. The combined supporting and swivel means for my improved interior visor is intended to be secured to one of such cross beams 16, as by means of screws 18, which may extend through the fabric and into the beam.

The supporting bracket and swivel may comprise a plate 19, suitably apertured for the screws 18, and also centrally apertured for reception of the flanged bushing 20, which is interiorly threaded, as at 21 (note Figure 5). The bushing is journaled and freely rotatable in the aperture in the plate 19; and secured to the bushing to be rotatable therewith, as by means of the screw 22, is an elongated dished member 23 formed with a groove or channel 24 extending its entire length.

A spacer bushing as may be interposed between the plate 19 and the supporting member 23, being slipped over the bushing 20.

Within the member 23 is mounted a spring tension member 25 formed with a concaved groove 26, arranged oppositely to that in the member 23; and the rod 27, to which the visor or shield 31 is secured, is suitably journaled in the substantially cylindrical space between the cooperating grooves or channels 24 and 26 or" the members 23 and 25. The opposite edge of the member 25 from that in which the groove 26 is formed will be seen to be downturned, as at 23 in Figure 5, so that only this edge portion bears against the interior of the member 23, its midportion being sufficiently bowed to be spaced from the member 23, and its other edge being held away therefrom by the rod 27. The members 23 and 25 are secured together by machine screws 29-30, which pass freely through unthreaded apertures in the dished member 23 and engage in tapped holes in the spring tension clamping member 25. It will be apparent that tightening or loosening of the screws 29-30 enables corre sponding exertion of more or less frictional resistance to the turning of the rod 27 by the wallsof the grooves 2426 in which it is journaled.

The shield or visor 31 may be formed as a relatively thin panel of either opaque or translucent but glare-removing material. I have found, however, that an opaque visor serves fully as well as a partly translucent one.

At their point of engagement the flanged bushing 20 and the dished supporting member 23 may be formed with interfitting serrations, as 3233, in Figures 2 and 5, to insure turning of the bushing simultaneously with the dished supporting member, so that the bearing surfaces will comprise the bushing, the plate 19, and the spacer 34 interposed between the plate 19 and dished member 23, as shown in Figure 5. This not only furnishes a better bearing surface than the screw 22 could supply, but enables that screw to be firmly tightened so that its adjustment cannot be changed by complementary rotation of the -members it secures together. The rod 27 may be centered in the supporting bracket against endwise movement by means of an integral struckin portion 36 located at about the mid-point of the channel 24 of the member 23 and adapted to engage in a peripheral groove 43 in the rod. The member 25 may be centrally cut away, as at 34:, to allow free passage therethrough of the bolt 22 and the members associated therewith. The plate 25 may also be slotted as at 35 at approxi mately the mid-point of its opposite or channeled edge 26. The opposite and inwardly projecting cut away portions 34-35 render the two halves of the member 25 relatively independent, and if this plate is formed of resilient material, tightening or loosening one half of the plate by means of its tension screw (29 or 30) will have very little effect upon the other half of the clamping plate.

If desired, individual clamping plates, as 25', (Figures 7 and 8), may be employed rather than the single clamping plate 25 heretofore described. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the construction may otherwise be substantially the same. The channel portions of the individual clamping plates 25' are designated 26', and their function will be seen to be the same. The other corresponding portions of the modified construction shown in these views are numbered similarly to the equivalent portions of the first described embodiment, with the addition of a prime exponent to each reference character. Although the various parts of Figure 6 has been numbered as an end view of the first described embodiment, it will be seen to also be an accurate representation in end view of the modified construction shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figures 9 and 10 show a simplified and modified construction in which the visor plate 131 is swingable only about a horizontal axis furnished by the rod 127. The supporting shell 123 may be formed similarly to the swingable supporting shell 23 previously described, but provided with screw holes, as 40, for affixing the same directly to a cross beam at the top of the motor car, in the manner above set forth. A clampingtension plate 125, having a channel portion 124 and a downturned opposite edge 128 may be provided to serve a similar function to that served by the plate 25 in the first described embodiment. A swingable centrally located tension screw 130 may extend freely through an aperture in the shell 123 and engage a suitably tapped hole in the plate 125, as shown in Figure 10, by means of which the friction at the bearing upon the rod 127 may be adjusted. At approximately its mid-point the channel portion 124 of the tension plate 125 may be struck inwardly, as shownin Figures 9 and 10 at 132, which struck-in portion may engage a groove 133 in the rod 127 to prevent longitudinal movement thereof.

It will be seen that in all of the above described embodiments the only displacement of the visor plate, as by jolting of the vehicle, etc., which could occur if a bearing should wear or otherwise become loosened, would be swinging of the plate 31-131 about the horizontal axis furnished by the supporting rod 27-2'7'-12'7; and that the tension upon this rod is easily adjustable to com pensate for such wear and prevent such loosening. The visor may be adjusted by mere manual turning thereof to any desired position, where it will remain until again turned or re-adjusted.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable visor adapted to be secured in depending position inside a vehicle, comprising a dished supporting member having a transverse channel extending thereacross, a rod traversing and rotatable in the channel and extending therefrom, a visor secured to the rod, a tension plate housed within and substantially concealed by the dished supporting member having an opposed channel portion for cooperation with the first mentioned channel to form a friction bearing for the rod, said tension plate bearing against and retaining the rod therein, means for securing the supporting member to the vehicle with the open face of said dished member against the support,

and means for adjusting the friction exerted upon 1 fixed supporting member having a bearing aper ture therein, a pivot member journaled in the bearing aperture and extending from the supporting member, a dished visor-carrying member aflixed to the pivot member and having a channel extending thereacross, a rod traversing and rotatable in the channel about an axis transverse to that of the pivot member, and extending from the visor-carrying member, a visor secured to the rod, a tension plate inside the dished visor-carrying member having a portion for cooperation with the channel to bear against and retain the rod therein, and means for varying friction exerted upon the rod by the tension plate.

WALTER S. SAUNDERS. 

